Preamble

The Odisha Gazette

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 1014-D Dated. 14 July, 1972

ODISHA ACT 14 OF 1972

(Assented to by the President on the 29th June, 1972)

An Act to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the protection and management of forests in the State.

Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Odisha in the Twentythird year of the republic of India as follows :

1Statement of Objects and Reasons : There are now to Forest Acts in application in the State of Odisha, i.e. the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and the Madras Forest Act, 1882. Except for the Districts of Koraput, Ganjam and part of Phulbani districts (Baliguda and G. Udayagiri Taluks) where the Madras Forest Act, 1882 is in force, the rest of the area is covered by the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The existence of two Acts quite often creates confusion and also administrative difficulty. The existence of the two Acts imposed an extra strain on the Government machinery with no commensurate advantage and this could be avoided by one unified Act. The necessity for a unified Forest Act was felt quite early and in pursuance of that, a Bill was introduced in the State Legislative Assembly in the year 1942. But for reasons unknown this was dropped.